Builders and building designers have long used roof tiles as a simple and practical form of roof cladding to protect the structure below from the elements.

The timelessness and durability of roof tiles are easily seen in the transition between old and new buildings across Europe's great Cities and in its rural areas. The fact that European architects still choose tiles for their most modern creations tells us that roof tiles remain a material for today's buildings.

In Australia there has also been a long tradition of using terracotta and concrete roof tiles, and they are now more relevant than ever, given today's exacting building requirements to meet environmental standards.

According to architect Harry Margalit of Quinton Margalit Smuskowitz Architects (MaSQ), the benefits of roof tiles are that they are solid, they have a long tradition, they are very durable, they have a beautiful texture, and they have a certain mass and presence that is hard to achieve with other materials.

The Roofing Tile Association of Australia asked MaSQ to design several homes for today's Australian family. The brief was simple but exacting: to produce leading edge concepts that are affordable and buildable, and that fit naturally into a modern streetscape.

MaSQ is an architectural practice dedicated to urban design and staff know full well the implications of designing modern homes for the mass market. Harry Margalit said: "Today, the accent is on good looks and practical living for families. Our challenge is to make the designs work within the rules but it is also to present homes that people want to live in."

"Importantly, designs have to be capable of execution on a standard 450 square metre block but we don't want to produce a simple 'dumb cube' but rather a home that has living spaces around it." MaSQ produced six alternative designs and of those, two have been translated into walk-through animatics and full working 1:50 drawings.

There are several critical design elements that come into play in each design. First is the overall impression from the street. The designs all have a strong presence and sit confidently in their space, and each has a certain subdued grandeur that presents an imposing look obtained through simple but considered proportions of the building. Streetscape cohesion is created by the individuality of the houses.

The most challenging part of the project was breaking the perception people have about roof tiles and heavy building materials being old fashioned and unsuitable for today's modern lifestyle. Tiled roofs combine superior durability, quality and strength with a long life. They also help reduce the intrusion of external noise, provide protection against radiant heat in a bushfire, and have high levels of thermal insulation and resistance to high winds. It is a fact that roof tiles have a lower embodied energy than steel and therefore have a much lower carbon footprint, making them an important consideration in any modern building.

Recently, tiles were the specified roofing material in the construction of an Eight-Star house in suburban Perth. It is true that, as a material, roof tiles have perhaps been out of favour with many architects in recent years. However, classic materials never go out of style and the Roofing Tile Association has set about creating several leading-edge designs for today's urban streetscape to demonstrate that exciting design and the practicality of roof tiles still go hand-in-hand.

Now more than ever, buildings need to convey a sense of lifestyle. In one design this is achieved through reference to the Spanish style 0' courtyard house where rooms open onto a cool and shaded area.

Another style is traditional, yet Interpreted In a modern way. In all six styles, pitched roof forms present a modulated roof design to provide a soaring feature that lifts the eye.

"We like the versatility that roof tiles provide for our designs and the fact that tradespeople are so familiar with the product that erection is simple," said MaSQ's Ted Quinton. "The designs provide an excellent, modern streetscape with clean lines being achieved through the elimination of eaves. To compensate, parts of the building recede and provide light and shade within the building. "Verandah areas also protect windows from direct sunlight so that, taken together, those features ensure the buildings meets energy efficiency requirements. We feel that we have achieved conscious design with no compromise that fits the modern criteria of sustainability and buildability," he said.

For more information about the six house designs and roof tiles in general, contact the Roofing Tile Association of Australia on 0419 477 561, email info@rtaa.com.au or visit the website www.rtaa.com.au